Soul Adventure
by FaItHzAnGeL
Summary: We're in the days of now, and the forces of darkness are starting to assemble, in a world without a hero, who will take up the chakram and lead the way to hope?


Title: Soul Adventure

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I own Billy, Ryan, and all the characters unfamiliar to you guys.  Ares, Xena, Gabrielle, and all those who seem familiar are totally not mine, never said they were, and they belong to great masterminds of those who created Xena.

Feedback: Hell yeah! Please.  I love when I get reviews!

Distribution: Hey, if you want it, it's yours, just lemme know first!

Dedication: To all those who support me; you know who you are.

**"Soul Adventure"******

Silence, always silence.  

Dark and black, always waiting for things to start rolling and start the horrors, then those green eyes come again.

     It's always the same, silence and darkness—darker then anything he's ever seen.  The silence is deafening at times, especially when he sees the images that float thorough his mind, horrible ghastly visions of battles and wars, senseless blood bathes.

     The scenes are oddly colored, and split at times like a fractured prism, but always the same.  

Chopping left and right, swinging, not caring that the blade meets flesh and bone, not caring that the man on the other side of the blade flails dying onto the ground.  

He keeps going despite the despair and aching body.  He knows it's the end, he won't make it out alive, and he's calm.  

     He sees her large green eyes, her blond hair, and the words float through his clouded mind, "…if I only have 30 seconds to live, this is how I want to live them.  Looking into your eyes…"

     With one slash, he's down, intense white light fills the area and he knows it's over, all is wiped away, erased, all except the girl's green eyes and the blond bangs hovering over them.

     He stares into them; doing so makes him feel less empty, more whole—complete.  

When he wakes up though, the emptiness rises within him, and he's alone, empty, and missing a part of himself.

     Where was the green eyed one to stop the hollow feeling he felt from within?

*             *             *             *

     "So are the two separated?"

     "Yes sir," Zeke quietly replied as he bowed down to the darkened figure.  His blood ran cold as he heard his master's sinister chuckle and shuddered as he replied, "Good.  Make sure to keep it that way.  We don't want them to come together."  Zeke nodded and bowed away.

     The darkened figure smiled to himself, "Soon the world shall belong to us once more."  The weak figures stood on the other side and nodded slowly, "You had better be right about this," he heard one of them say and he smirked, "Oh I know I am."

     He cackled, "The world of man has lost their purchase on it, and the time for us shall come again.  No one will stop us, ever again."

*             *             *             *

     Billy grabbed his shirt, stuffed it in the bag and zipped it up.  "I'm gone mom, don't worry, be home late, got practice!"

     He slid his backpack on running through the sidewalks, racing his way to school, "I hate dreaming.  Dreaming is bad.  You always wake up late for class."

     He ran full speed into the hallway, turning to the right sliding slightly before recovering his balance heading toward his classroom, and just as he arrived at the door, the bell rang.  "It seems Mr. Vasquez that you have detention once again."

     Billy sighed, "Sorry Mr. Marino."

     He moved into the classroom and slid into his desk, pulling out his laptop.

     "Ok kids, upload the homework to the main computer."  

     Billy slipped the disk into his laptop and saved the file on to it.  One by one, the students filed to the main computer and moved their files in the appropriate system folder.  

     "Alright students, now that the assignments are taken care of, you may study the text in the history section of your computer programs to read about the Spanish Inquisition.  Write a ten page report on it, due by tomorrow."  Mr. Marino glanced at his watch as he replied, "You have the rest of the period to brainstorm, and or read the text.  I will grade the paper rather thoroughly, and I will be strict.  This is an AP class is it not?"  Marino download the files and from the main computer and then began to read the homework from his laptop, frowning at the first sentence of the first paper, _Already a mistake and it's the first paper, may God help me stay sane_.

     Billy sighed, _A ten-page report on the Spanish Inquisition_?  He stared at the computer screen and shook his head; it definitely was going to be a long year.  

Suddenly the door smacked open, and large clacking filled the room.  He looked up as he stared at the blond figure standing before the class in a pink business-like suit, holding her hips, "Hey guys!"  The woman smiled as she waved a little to Billy, who gave her a strange look as she turned to the teacher and said, "Marinie, baby, you have got to keep the class interesting."  She waited a bit and then glared at him.  Taking the hint, he stood up and said, "Students, this is our new principal for the year, Mrs.…."

     "Ms," the woman corrected.

     "Right, Ms. Love."

     "Related to Jennifer?"  Billy muttered under his breath and stared back at the computer.  Ms. Love declared, "I just wanted to stop by all the classrooms, introduce myself and say, this is going to be a fun year.  We'll have fun, and…"  

She stared at Marino, "Not all the classes will be as boring as this one."  Marino scoffed as she shifted her weight onto one leg as she quickly said, "Yeesh, brown, that is so not a color."  She shrugged turning her attention back to the students, "Should any of you need my assistance, do not hesitate to drop by.  Oh, and there is going to be a…study abroad program to Greece, and a few brief stints in China and Japan; applications are being taken now—the offer ends soon."  Billy perked his ears up, "Study abroad?  When did high schools start doing that?"

She grinned, "Since now."  She cleared her throat and turned on her heels exiting the building, sneaking a look back at Billy.

*             *             *             *

Billy rubbed the back of his neck, sweat bleeding through his t-shirt, and he bent over, placing his hands on his thighs as he breathed in deep, "It's too hard, it can't be done."

"Quit doing that, you can do this.  It's not that hard."  Billy looked up glaring at his coach, "Fine," he said through gritted teeth.  He straightened up, took one more deep breath as he took a few steps back, "You had better be right about this."  He sped off, launching into a series of somersaults, back flips, roundhouses, and other gymnastic maneuvers, dazzling the gym players, and in one leap he landed, hands out stretched—he'd actually done it.  One of the hardest routines he'd ever tried, and he'd done it.  He grinned with pride, at least until he heard someone say, "You were a little off on the dismount, and you landed a bit too harsh, you could break your leg if you did it that hard next time."

"Oh go play your sport Litrel."

Ryan grinned, "Gymnastics isn't a sport.  It's training for a sport.  When are you going to learn that and join the football team?"

"I always love our intelligent conversations."

"Oh, a jock joke, I am so hurt and offended."  Ryan moved closer to him, "Am I supposed to be afraid of a monkey who can swing around a stick?"  He grinned and started off, "Dude you smell…"  

Billy took a deep breath and sighed as his coached joined him in watching Ryan leave, "I so hate him."

"Don't let him get to you."

"I can't help it!  I mean he just pushes, and one of these days I'm going to be pushed too far and…"

"You'll sit there and take it."

Billy nodded slowly, "Why is that again?"

"You're a gymnast, not a fighter."  Billy watched the blond boy as he pushed through the doors of the gym, not tall—for a football player at least.  The boy wasn't that built either, though he had toned up since he was in junior high.  Ryan and Billy had known each other for years, and always hating each other.  

Billy moved a strand of his raven black hair behind his ear, and turned to his coach, "Well, hopefully I never have to fight huh?  Then we'd be in trouble."  The coach smirked, "I'll say.  So who are you going to be giving those baby blue stares to?"

"Prom?"

The coach nodded, "I don't know.  Maybe Jenna.  But, if I study abroad, I won't be here…"

"Study…abroad?"

"Yeah.  It's this great program, where a few students get to go to China, Japan, and Greece, and we stick around for a while and learn shit.  It's cool.  Besides," he looked around, "I need a change."  

The coach nodded solemnly, "Damn it, and right when competition is about to start.  You know you're our best gymnast."

"Sorry C.  But, I got to do this."

"I know."  He slapped Billy on the shoulder and said, "Let's try that again—he was right by the way, you were kind of off on the dismount."

Billy glared.

*             *             *             *

"Hey Ryan, hurry the hell up!"  Ryan waved his hand and quickened his pace as he moved toward the field with his helmet in his hands quickly placing it over his head.  He huddled up with his teammates, and they delivered their play.  The quarterback turned to him and said, "Hey we're ganging up on Vasquez tonight, coming?"

"Billy?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Why ask why?  We just getting back for the fucking story he put in the paper, the fucker."

"It was a good story," he said quietly.

"Excuse me?  It took me out of the game for three weeks, it was not a good story."

"But it was true…"

"And that means what?"  The coach whistled for the boys to hurry up and added it by voicing his thoughts rather vulgarly.  "Listen, fine be a wimp, but I am not letting him get away with this…Break!"  Ryan stood there for a moment then joined the rest of the team.

*             *             *             *

Billy placed a stray strand of hair behind his ear and opened his locker, "Bad day.  Bad, bad, day."

"Vasquez!"  He heard Ryan call.  Billy sighed, "Really bad, bad day."  Billy turned to the blond boy and said, "What do you want now?"

"Look don't go to the party tonight."

"Why not?"

"Because, just don't."

"Listen don't tell me what to do.  I'll do whatever the hell I want, and I want to be at the party."

Ryan growled, "Kid don't go, trust me here.  Don't go."

"Why do you all of a sudden care?"

"Because I don't like seeing people hurt by others who aren't me."

"What are you talking about," he said quietly.  Ryan shook his head, "Don't take this personal, but," he turned to see the quarterback come down the hall and shouted, "This is for that bogus story you did about Callahan!"  Then the ritual punching began.  Billy managed slam his knee in the blonde's stomach and the two were rolling on the ground.  "Alright you two, alright, stop it this instant!"  A nearby teacher shouted as she, and the Assistant Principal, who had just turned into the hall, separated the two.  "Now, what's with all this," asked the Assistant Principal.

"He started it," shouted Billy as he struggled against him and Ryan just glared at him, but did not struggle against the teacher.  The assistant principal sighed, "Detention, the rest of the week.  For both of you."

"But…but…"  

"No buts.  Both of you, it starts today."

The boys were left alone, and Billy grabbed his backpack as Ryan quietly said, "Sorry, you can go to the par…"

"What the fuck?  Just leave me alone.  Ok, don't do me any favors you ass."

Ryan glared, "I went out of my way to…"

"What?  Get me in trouble?  Gee thanks, remind me to go to you anytime I'm in a jam…." 

He stormed off leaving Ryan alone in the hallway.

*             *             *             *

Billy stormed into the main hallway as he slammed his backpack into the lockers, suddenly thankful the hall was empty as he barked, "I hate him, God how I hate him…."  He let out a frustrated growl, took a deep breath and leaned against the lockers.

"Hey kid," he heard a woman say, he turned to see the new Principal standing with a smile on her face by the office door, "got a problem?"

"Nothing I can't handle…"  

She nodded slowly, "Ok."  She turned to leave then turned back to him, "We're still taking applications for the study abroad program.  Interested?"

Billy sighed weighing the possibilities, and he nodded his head, "Where do I apply?"  The principal grinned and waved him in.  "We leave in two weeks, you find out in one.  You won't know who you're going with until the day of departure."

"But what if…"

"There are people you have problems with?"

He nodded.  "Tough, you deal.  This is about growing up, learning new things, and having fun.  Don't worry about the bad; think of all the cool stuff that's going to go down.  Bad things can always happen, and nine times out of ten, no matter how precautious you are, bad things happen, so deal—don't be such a baby."

"Right.  Deal."  He took his applications and headed out the school toward home, hoping that in two weeks time, he'd never have to see this school or the people in it, for a long time.


End file.
